Will Chelsea play spoilsport in Manchester United's pursuit of Frenkie de Jong?

Frenkie de Jong's future with Barcelona remains hanging in the balance amidst links with Manchester United. Meanwhile, Chelsea could be looking to hijack the deal.

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Dutch midfielder Frenke de Jong has been involved in an exciting transfer saga with English giants Manchester United. While he is currently signed to Spanish giants Barcelona, he has been targeted by new Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag, as he aims to rebuild the club, and de Jong is expected to play a massive role in it. However, the Dutchman prefers to stay with the Catalans, while reports suggest that Barca owes him £17 million, which is why he has not agreed on personal terms with United for now. In the meantime, SPORT reports that English rival Chelsea is looking to enter the race, and an offer is expected to be submitted soon.

Reports have suggested that Barcelona already has a deal with United and informed de Jong that he must leave Camp Nou. The Catalans are eager to offload him to lighten their wage bill. As for The Blues, they expect either of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante to leave, having already reached the other side of the 30s, as the club is looking to line up a replacement player in the midfield, while de Jong suits their style.

Meanwhile, as per Diario Sport, United is looking to come up with a final offer for de Jong, which will likely include his pending wages from Barcelona. However, the Dutchman could still prefer to join Chelsea over United, given that the former would offer him UEFA Champions League (UCL) football. The latter would be missing out on the same this season, as it plays the second-tire UEFA Europa League (UEL).